Combination projector and electric typewriter



Dec. 17, 1935. A. D. EITZEN COMBINATION PROJECTOR AND- ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER Qriginal Filed Dec. 9, I930 INVENTOR Algwt flfliitzazz,

BY v

an! ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION PROJECTOR AND ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER August D. Eitzen, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to News Projection Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 9, 1930;-SerialNo. 501,051

Renewed March 22, 1934 3 Claims.

This invention relates to record projecting machines in general and more especially' to machines for producing and projecting notices, such' as the notices of train arrivals and the like or the calls in a hospital or the like. Heretofore, especially in hospitals, a demand has arisen for combination projecting machines and electric typewriters for projecting calls to doctors, nurses and the like, such combination electric typewriters and projectors for hospital use including a transmitter at a'central station and a number of receivers associated with projecting machines at substations, located in wards, staflf doctors quarters and the like. The only combination l5 typewriter and projector available for this use heretofore have been those including the standard two wire electric typewriter depending upon an extensive selector system for transmitting the required characters across a two wire system for actuating the type bars of a typewriter at the reception end.

With systems of this character, there was required a transmitter which averaged in cost about five hundred dollars and a receiver at each substation. Consequently, if a hospital had one hundred substations, the typewriter expense alone would approximate five hundred times one hundred and one or fifty thousand five hundred dollars, without considering the cost of wiring, the

cost of a projector for each-substation and the cost of upkeep. This expense thus made this system prohibitive to the average privately owned hospital and of course objectionable also as to price to public institutions.

Aside from this expense, however, due to the complicated selector system used with this two wire system an ordinary electrician or unskilled helper would not be qualified to maintain such two wire system in repair. The upkeep of such two wiresystem therefore entailed an additional objectionable excessive expense.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention aims to provide a combination projector and electric typewriter suitable for use in the ordinary privately owned hospital in which the transmitter alone can be produced at an insignificantly small cost and the receivers at the several substations be produced at about one-tenth the cost of the average two wire electric typewriter today 59 in use.

It isstill another object of the present invention to provide a combination projector and electric typewriter which can be maintained by the average unskilled mechanic andat least by the 5 ordinary electrician.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination projector and electric typewriter suitable for use in a small privately owned institution, such as a hospital, in which the combination will dispense with the 5 complicated selector system today in use with the wellknown two wire electric typewriter and require a number of similar standard parts, substantial duplicates of one another.

It is still another object of the prevent inven- 10 tion to provide a combination projectonand electric typewriter in which a single narrow strip of paper is used to receive the impressions whereby a line feed mechanism will be dispensed with thereby extensively reducing the cost of manu- 15 facture and number of parts entailing such cost.

These and other features, capabilities and advantagesof the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompany- 0 ing drawing in which A schematic view is shownillustratingthe several parts makingup the present improved combination.

In the embodiment illustrated, there is pro- 25 vided a keyboard K having a plurality of keys I and a space bar 2 similar to the standard keyboard of the typewriters extensively used in the United States today,

\ This keyboard in the present instance alone 30 constitutes the central station, that is at the central station alone need such keyboard be located. When a call is to be sent to the several substations located throughout the hospital, this keyboard K alone need be operated. In the present 35 system from the source of current supply S, the main outlet conductor 3 is connected to the contact bar 4 indicated diagrammatically. This contact .bar 4 is movably mounted to engage either the contact 5 or the contact 6. The contact 5 in the present. instance is connected by the conductor 1 to the branch conductors 8, 9, I0 and H. The keys in the present instance are connected by electric conductors to these several branch conductors 8, 9, l0 and H.

In the present instance, the contact 6 is con nected by the conductor l2 with the winding of the magnet it: which is connected by the conductor M with the return lead i5 passing'back to the source of current supply S. The conductor I2 is also connected to the conductor l6 which is connected to the magnets l1, l8 and I! by the conductors 20, 2| and 22 respectively. The magnets I3, l1, l8 and IS in the pr'esent instance are indicated as located at one of the submagnets I1, I 8 and I9 and conductors.

stations. It is of course understood that there will be as many magnets like the ones II, I8 and I9 as there are type bars and keys I.

Each of the keys I is provided with a contact 23. Adapted'to be engaged by such contact 23,

a each key I is furthermore provided with a contact 24 connected by a conductor 25 to its particular magnet I1, I 8, I9 or the like.

In the present instance, the key I for actuating the character 2 is provided with a contact 23 provided to engage the contact 24 and the conductor 25 connected to the magnet I8. On the other hand, the key I for the character Q is provided with a contact 23 adapted to' engage the contact 24 connected by the conductor 25 to the magnet I1 and the key I for the character A is provided with a contact 23 adapted to engage the contact 24 connected by the conductor 25 to the magnet I9. The magnets for the other keys and connecting conductors are not shown since they are mere duplicates of the An explanation of the magnets II, I8 and I9 and connecting conductors will serve to explain the operation of the magnets for the other keys I.

The substation provided with the magnets I3, I'I, I8 and I9 in the present instance is also provided with a plurality of type bar actuating rods 26 for actuating type bars not shown, in turn to strike the ribbon r at the location 21 to form an imprint or impression on the tape T as it passes across the platen P. The platen P will of course serve as an abutment for the paper and type bars during the printing operation. The tape T in the present instance is preferably of the well known narrow ticker tape variety which is supplied in rolls such as the roll 28. In the present instance, the roll 28 is mounted on the shaft 29 of the supply reel 36. From the supply reel 3|), the tape preferably passes over the finger 3| on the lever 32 extending from the shaft 29 and then under the guide roller 33 and then across the platen P and from the platen P to the paper feed roller 34 against which the tape T is frictionally held by the finger 35 of the' arm 36.

From the tape feed roller 34,-the tape then passes to the light aperture hereinafter to be explained and from the light aperture,the tape then passes to the rewind reel 3Imounted on the shaft 38 provided with the sheave 39 which is drivingly connected to the shaft 46 of the motor 4| by the spring belt 42. The spring belt 42 is provided to allow for slippage when the tape T is at rest and not advanced by the tape feed roller 34. The motor 4| is preferably continuously operating.

For operating the tape feeding roller 34, the

means now to be described are provided. The

magnet I3 'in the present instance is provided with a U-shaped core 43 which has pivotally mounted thereon the armature 44 one end of which is adapted to be attracted to the core piece 45 when the magnet I3 is-excited. The other end of the armature 44 is connected by the spring 46 with the abutment 41, normally to maintain the armature 44 out of engagement with the core piece 45. The U-shaped member 43 in the present instance, is provided with a stop screw 48 to limit the movement of the armature'44 by the spring 46.

The armature 44 and core piece 45 are provided with the pawls 49 and 56 respectively, pivotally connected to the armature 44 and core piece 45 respectively. The pawls 49 and 56 are provided to co-operate with the ratchet 6| mounted on the end of a shaft 52. For maintaining the pawl 49 in engagement with the ratchet 5|, there is provided the spring 53 and for maintaining the pawl 58 in engagement with 5 the ratchet teeth of the ratchet 5|, there is provided the coil spring 54 extending from the pawl to the abutment 55 on the core member 45.

On the shaft 52, there is provided the worm 56 in mesh with the worm wheel 51 on the shaft 10 58, diagrammatically shown, of the pulling roller 34.

The several parts of the driving mechanism for the pulling roller 34 just described are timed .to actuate the pulling roller 34 a single letter 5 will be maintained in rest position by the pawl 56 engaging another tooth on the opposite side 5 of the ratchet5I. When thereupon the magnet I3 is de-energized, the return of the pawl 49 to normal position by the spring 46 will actuate the ratchet 5| through the engagement of a newly engaged tooth of the ratchet 5|, during which 30 time, in the regular way, the pawl 56 will slip across a tooth to the next succeeding tooth. The magnet I3 will be energized whenever the key I is actuated and similarly when the space bar 2 isactuated. When a key I is actuated, take 35 for instance the key I bearing the character 2". the current will pass from the supply S through the conductor 3, contacts 4-and 5, conductor I, branch conductor 8, contacts 23 and 24, conductor 25, magnet I8, conductors 2|, I6 and I2 through 40 magnet I3 and then through conductors I4 and I5 back to the supply S. On the other hand, when the space bar 2 is actuated, the current will pass from the supply S to the conductor 3, contacts 4 and 6, conductor I2, magnet I3 and 5 conductors I4 and I5 back to the supply S.

The means for actuating the ribbon r from reel 59 to reel 66 is not shown but may be by the well known means associated with the type bar actuating means or in the present instance with the tape. pulling roller 34.

When a plurality of substations are used and operated simultaneously, a plurality of receivers such as the receiver R. just described consisting of the electric typewriter parts operated by the magnets I'I, I8, I9 and I3, are provided, one receiver R for each substation. These several re ceivers R are preferably connected as indicated.

In the present instance, the conductors 25 and the several keys I are connected by the con- 60 ductors 6| to the magnets 62, 63 and 64 corresponding to the magnets I'I, I8 and I9 of the first substation R just described. It is of course understood that any additional number of substations R may be connected to the first de- 65 scribed substation and the description of one such additional substation will suffice since additional substations may and preferably are substantial tional substations to the magnet I3 of the first mentioned substation R. This magnet 68 is connected by the conductor 69 with the conductor l5 returning to the supply of current S for use when the spacing actuation is to accompany the printing operation. When however, the spacing actuation is to take place independently, by the actuation of the space bar 2 then the current to the magnet 68 passes to the conductor 61 through the conductor 61- to the conductor l2 and the contact 6 and by means of the conductors 3, l5 and 69 from the contact 4 through the source of electric energy S. In turn, for actuating the additional paper feed actuators independently with the actuation of the spacing bar 2, the conductor 61 is likewise connected to the conductor 61 of the next succeeding substation R not shown. 'All the remaining parts of the electric typewriter of the additional sub station are substantial duplicates of the first described substation and therefore need not be described in detail, like references being afiixed to like parts.

From the foregoing, it will thus appear that after the message has been printed on the tape T in the several substations and before the same has passed to the inspection areas, to wit the light aperture L in substation R, it may then be necessary to actuate the spacing bar 2 independently until the message is so located in the inspection areas. The spacing bar 2 serves as the control for moving the message on the tape into the light apertures L when provided of the several substations.

The light aperture through which the tape T passes is indicated by the reference character L, in the illustrated additional substation R. as disposed at the end of a lamp housing 10 provided with a lamp H and reflector 12 for directing the light rays through the condensers 13 and 14 to the objective lens 15 and from there on to the screen 16. The tape feed in the substations maybe controlled to operate as indicated in the additional substation illustrated instead of by the mechanism illustrated with the first described substation R.

In the additional substation B, there is provided a loop forming lever 11 of a switch contained in the housing I8 which is connected by the conductor 19 to the outlet plug 80. The outlet plug 80 is also provided with the conductor 8| which is also connected to the motor M which is provided with the return lead 82 to the switch in the switch housing 18. The motor M is provided with a sheave 83 connected to the sheave 84 by the belt 85. The sheave 84 is secured to the shaft 86 of the reduction gearing having the worm 81 in mesh with the worm wheel 88 mounted upon the shaft 89 which is provided with a sheave 90 connected to the sheave 9| by the belt 92. The sheave 9| is mounted on the shaft of the rewind reel 93. In the present instance, the rewind reel 93 will only be operated to take up the tape and advance it across the light aperture L when a sufilcient loop is formed under the lever 11 to actuate the switch in the switch housing 18.

For the purpose of cleamess, the first mentioned substation is also designated R and the additional substation designated by the character R to indicate any number of additional substations similar and substantially identical to the substation R or similar and substantially identical to the additional substation R illustrated.

The only change illustrated in the additional substation R over the substation R is the change with reference to the means for actuating the tape rewind reel, the tape rewind reel 31 of the substation R. being actuated'by a slippage drive claims. 10

I claim:

1. A message transmitting system characterized by a key boardhaving a plurality of character keys and a spacing bar at a single central station, a plurality of narrow tape printers havl5 ing a fixed single impression location one printer for each of a plurality of sub-stations, each substation having an inspection area, said printers being remotely located from said key board, g each printer having a plurality of type 20 bars and a tape feed, one of the type bars of each printer corresponding to one of said character keys, an actuator provided for and operatively connected to each type bar and each tape feed,

a magnet for each actuator, a single source of 25 electric current, a primary fixed contact at the central station, a main movable contact normally in contact with said primary fixed contact and operatively associated with said spacing bar to be actuated thereby, a secondary fixed contact 3 adapted to be engaged by said main movable contact, a plurality of switches each cooperatively associated with one of said character keys and including a fixed contact and a movable contact, electrical conductors for said system including means for. connecting the tape feed magnet and each type bar magnet of a sub-station in series with said source of electric current, main movable contact and primary fixed contact when a key is actuated to cause a movable contact of a corresponding key switch to make contact with its fixed contact, said electrical conductors also including means for electrically connecting in parallel the corresponding sets of magnets of each sub-station when connected in series by the actuation of a key whereby the sub-stations may be increased or reduced without affecting the system, and said electrical conductors also including means for solely connecting the tape feed magnets of each sub-station in parallel with said source of electric current, main movable contact and secondary fixed contact when said spacing bar alone is actuated to cause said main movable contact to engage said secondary fixed contact, whereby likewise the sub-stations may be increased or reduced without affecting the system and an emergency message removed with facility from the inspection area after the message'has been acted upon or received.

2. A message transmitting system character ized by a key board having a plurality of character keys and a spacing bar'at a single central station, a plurality of narrow tape printers having a fixed single impression location one printer for each .of a plurality of substations, each substation having an inspection area, said printers being remotely located from said key board, each printer having a plurality of type bars and a tape feed, one of the type bars of each printer corresponding to one of said character keys, an actuator provided for and operatively connected to each type bar and each tape feed, a magnet for each actuator, a single source of electric current, a primary fixed contact at the central station, a main movable contact normally in contact with said primary fixed contact and operatively associated withsaid spacing bar to be actuated thereby, a secondary fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said main movable contact, a plurality of switches each cooperatively associated with one of said character keys and including a fixed contact and a movable contact, electrical conductors for said system including means for connecting the tape feed magnet and each type bar magnet of a substation with said source of electric current, main movable contact and primary fixed contact when a key is actuated to cause a movable contact of a corresponding key switch to make contact with its fixed contact, said electrical conductors also including means for electrically connecting the corresponding sets of magnets of each sub-station when connected by the actuation of a key, and said electrical conductors also including means for solely connecting the tape feed magnets of each sub-station with said source of electric current, main movable contact and secondary fixed contact when said spacing bar alone is actuated to cause said main movable contact to engage said secondary fixed contact.

3. A message transmitting system characterized by a key board having a plurality of character keys and a spacing bar at a single central station, a narrow tape printer for each of a plurality of substations, each substation having an inspection area, said printers being remotely located from said key board, each printer having a plurality of type and a tape feed, one of the type of each printer corresponding to one of said character keys, an actuator provided for and operatively connected to each type and each tape feed, a magnet for each actuator, a single source of electric current, a primary fixed contact at 5 the central station, a main movable contact normally in contact with said primary fixed contact and operatively associated with said spacing bar to be actuated thereby, a secondary fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said main movable contact, a plurality of switches each cooperatively associated with one of said character keys and including a fixed contact and a movable contact,

, electrical conductors for said system including means for connecting the tape feed magnet and each type magnet of a substation with said source of electric current, main movable contact and primary fixed contact when a key is actuated to cause a movable contact of a corresponding key switch to make contact with its fixed contact, said electrical conductors also including means for electrically connecting the corresponding sets of magnets of each substation when connected by the actuation oi. a. key, and said electrical conductors. also including means for solely connecting the tape feed magnets of each substation with said source of electric current, main movable contact and secondary fixed contact when said spacing bar alone is actuated to cause said main movable contact to engage said secondary fixed contact.

AUGUST D. EITZEN. 

